Franco-Japanese luxury drinks brand HeavenSake recently launched its second sake at a ‘cultural gathering’ in Paris, culminating in renowned photographer Massimo Vitali being suspended high over the heaving crowd to capture the scene. In a similarly dramatic, theatrical fashion, the first ‘Better High’ happening in the brand’s event series last year featured a performance of kinbaku – literally meaning ‘the beauty of tight binding’ – by Japanese master Kinoko Hajime.
Last year, guests flocked to rue Saint-Honoré to celebrate the launch of HeavenSake and its inaugural offering, the Junmai Daiginjo sake (a pure type of sake, with no added alcohol).
At the event, guests witnessed an exquisitely crafted theatrical performance of Japanese bondage by the rope artist, who presented a precisely technical and emotionally intense spectacle in collaboration with kinbaku practitioner Kitiza.
Show producer Etienne Russo had been fascinated by kinbaku for some time, and decided to bring to life this puzzling cultural aspect of Japan. ‘The kinbaku performance was in our mind since we started to plan the launch, as it is an ancestral tradition in Japan,’ says Russo.
At times disturbing, the session left the predominantly European and American audience at the event speechless. Undoubtedly, the practice and its more spectacular iterations create a bridge between past and present, merging craft with exhibitionism and sexual performance in a way that is often difficult to understand and dissect for the untrained viewer.
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